Opposition misleading voters on rail: Buswell

The Transport Minister has accused the Opposition of misleading voters by promising to ease congestion with its Wheatbelt railway plan.

The State Opposition has promised $30 million to keep the Tier Three grain transport rail lines open for another three years.

The Wheatbelt lines had been due to close last year but were extended until at least October after increasing pressure from farming groups to retain them.

The Opposition Leader Mark McGowan says a Labor government would keep the network open for another three years, meaning fewer trucks on WA roads.

"One of the things that has concerned me greatly is the congestion crisis in Perth but also the fact that on country roads, increasingly, people are dying," he said.

"Something has to be done about it, so this is a way of improving both the safety of our roads and also the congestion problems facing Perth.

"We've had extensive discussions with the operators of the line and our expectation, our understanding is $10 million a year will ensure that Tier Three remains open.

"That way we prevent those significant problems, congestion and safety problems that will occur if Tier Three is closed."

But the Transport Minister Troy Buswell says there's no link between the rail lines and the level of traffic in the metropolitan area.

"I think it's scaremongering and misleading," he said.

"It is absolutely not true for Labor to suggest that any changes to the status of the Tier Three rail line will have any impact on truck movements through the metropolitan area, because CBH have told us that it won't."

Mr Buswell says the network's operator, Brookfield, and the grain handler, CBH, need to come to a commercial agreement over the network and says Labor's plan would only delay that.

However, Jane Fuchsbichler from the Wheatbelt Railway Retention Alliance says the funding is badly needed.

"You know there's been lots of excuses but the fact remains that no money has been put into Tier Three rail," she said.

"The road that we've driven down today was not in the Strategic Grain Network report for any funding and it's totally sub-standard. So we've just been neglected I'm afraid."

The Nationals say Labor's policy is similar to theirs but the party is being more diligent before committing funds.

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